Optical connectors for use in optical communication splice optical fibers as they butt each other. If the ferrule end faces of the optical connectors, particularly, those end faces (connection surfaces) of the optical fibers which are leveled with the coupling end faces of the connectors are contaminated, or deposits such as fats and oils or dust stick to the end faces, the insertion loss of the optical connectors increases, and their return loss decreases. Since optical signals cannot normally be transmitted any longer, it is necessary to remove the contamination or deposits by cleaning the connection surfaces as needed.
Conventionally, as an optical connector cleaning tool for cleaning the connection surface of an optical connector as described above, a stick type cleaning tool C including a shaft portion A and cotton portion B as shown in FIG. 28 is used when the optical connector is a female connector because the connection surface of an optical fiber does not protrude outside a connector main body. That is, when performing cleaning by using the cleaning tool C, an operator cleans the ferrule end face as a surface to be cleaned by inserting the cotton portion B into an optical connector, bringing the cotton portion B into contact with the ferrule end face, and rotating the shaft portion A in this state.
On the other hand, when an optical connector is a male optical connector, the optical connector is cleaned by using a tape type, sheet type, or thread type cleaning tool disclosed in, e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 2001-246343, 2005-17756, or 2002-090576, or WO2004/073896.
Accordingly, it is normally necessary to prepare two types of cleaning tools for male and female optical connectors in accordance with connectors. As disclosed in, e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-285766, however, a combination optical connector cleaning device capable of cleaning both male and female optical connectors has also been put to practical use.